


Peredhel

by Lalaith_Quetzalli



Series: Reweaving Fate Through Destiny [10]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings (Movies), The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Book/Movie Fusion, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Family Feels, Interspecies Relationship(s), M/M, Silmarillion - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-18
Updated: 2015-02-18
Packaged: 2018-03-13 13:49:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3383924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lalaith_Quetzalli/pseuds/Lalaith_Quetzalli
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The gift of the Peredhel, the choice between mortal and immortal, could be a blessing as much as a curse, Elrond well knew that; though nothing could ever make the loss it brought any easier.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Peredhel

**Author's Note:**

> I'm warning you right now, that yet again I'm pulling things from the Silmarillion. It's not necessary for you to have read it, and I'm not going that deep into things; but still, I thought it should be mentioned. 
> 
> Having said that, on with the story!

**Peredhel**

Elrond had been through a lot in his, admittedly, long life. He would even admit there were times when he wondered if his twin brother Elros hadn't had it right, live a mortal life (however long it might be compared with normal humans) and one day be able to rest. And yet, no matter how much grief his life might bring him, he would be the first to admit it was nothing compared to the great things he'd achieved in it, and all the joy that had been granted to him. Especially in his family: his three children: Elrohir, Elladan and Arwen; and his wife Celebrían (whom he would see again one day, he was sure).

It had all begun in the Havens of Sirion, in what had once been Beleriand. There he and his twin brother Elros had been born to Eärendil the Mariner, from the line of Finwë and Elwing the White, from the House of Dior, who inherited the Silmaril Beren recovered from Morgoth's crown, and which her own ancestor Lúthien wore to the day of her death. It was because of that very object that she'd been pursued by the Sons of Fëanor, slaying almost every inhabitant of the Havens and forcing Elwing to throw herself into the Sea in a desperate final attempt to protect her sons, as well as reach her husband, who'd been sailing even then.

Elrond never fully forgave Maglor and Maedhros for what his actions cost him and his brother. While the two Sons of Fëanor weren't cruel to the two elflings, the twins still knew that, but for them, they would still have their family, their people. Even then, neither Elrond nor Elros allowed those negative feelings to stop them from fighting for what was right, ever.

When the time came for the two to make their own choice, as Peredhil (half-elves), Elrond chose the life of the elves almost right away, even if he himself would never be able to specify what was that guided him then. He also never expected difference choices would bring a separation between Elros and his that would last to the end of time...

He respected Elros, his choice to live as a mortal man, and the many things he achieved as first King of the Númenor, it still weighed heavy on his heart that his twin, the one person he'd been able to count on for many years (since the loss of their mother) would no longer be by his side. It was a loss that was never fully erased, though his match, his beloved Celebrían of Lórien helped greatly, bringing a light into his life from the moment he met her, to the day he lost her (though her, at least, he would be reunited with one day).

Were anyone to ask, Elrond would say he did not have many good memories of his youth, the years between the loss of his parents and his first home, and the time when Elros and his were old enough to leave their 'caretakers' behind and go live in Lindon. Though every good memory had always one person: his brother Elros, and many times one other: Minuialwen.

She was a tall platinum-blonde lady with eyes of the lightest blue, in a royal-blue dress, off-white leggings underneath and a cloak of sturdy fabric in the same shade of blue; with leather boots to complete the ensemble. She was beautiful, and kind, and sometimes the brothers thought she looked too much like a noble to be a servant to the Sons of Fëanor.

As it turned out, they were at least partly right. She hadn't been born to be a servant, but was one by choice, and she left the post the same day Elrond and Elros chose to leave for Lindon, going with them and even staying for a short time. It was then that the brothers found out the truth about the kindest of their caretakers.

"The Sons of Fëanor gave me the name of Minuialwen." She told them. "For they found me in the dawn, following the battle of Doriath, years before the attack in the Havens. I had nothing except the tattered dress I was in and a rather hard blow to my head made it so I couldn't string a sentence right for a while. It was assumed that I was from Doriath, but no one knew for sure; I couldn't explain things properly at first, and once I did I chose to keep my silence, for it was better that way. It was one thing to be seen as the somewhat disabled survivor of a terrible battle; someone they chose to show 'mercy' to by making her their servant. Had they found out I was the one responsible for the escape of Elwing, and with her the Silmaril they so insistently sought... things might not have been good..."

"You're the one who saved Naneth..." The twins breathed out in sync.

"But then that would make you..." It was Elros who first connected her to the stories their mother had once told.

"Eleana, daughter of the stars." She introduced herself formally.

Elrond and his brother had known all about the Messenger of the Stars, the lady who was considered as good as a Maia, protege of the High Queen of the Valar, who out of friendship of a individuals like Melian the Maia and Alatariel had chosen to cross into Arda after the massacre of the Teleri, many years before. The same Eleana who'd sworn after Lúthien's passing to look after her son, and his children, for as long as she walked the earth. And she had, she had been there for Lúthien when no one else understood her love for a mortal man, and when Thingol had issued his impossible test she was one of two people that had gone to her and Beren's aid (the other being Finrod Felagund), she was the reason Elwing managed to escape the destruction of Doriath when everyone else in her family had been killed, and she was there for Elros and Elrond when they had no one else.

She stayed with the twins for a number of years while they lived in Lindon, even afterwards returning to visit them quite often. Until the day came when their choices were made, Elrond remained as he was and entered the service of Gil-Galad, King of the Noldorin, while Elros became known as Tar-Myniatur and became the first crowned King of Númenor.

Something happened shortly afterwards, which caused Eleana to pull herself away from the brothers for years, choosing instead to travel across Arda again. Elrond and her would not meet again until the funeral of Elros, she arrived dressed fully in white, with her feet bare, in a way Elrond hadn't seen her since their carefree days in Lindon, carrying a garland of alfirin which almost glowed with magic, which she laid on the marker of the grave (later Elrond would learnt that the flowers carried Eleana's blessing, from the gifts given to her by the Valar, and as such would never wilt. And in fact, they remained in perfect bloom until the day Númenor returned to the depths of the sea).

Even that day Eleana didn't stay long. Though she didn't distance herself as much anymore. They met more often as Elrond was sent to Eregion, as Gil-Galad's lieutenant (she'd been there already, helping as much as she could with the growing war against Sauron). Upon Celebrimor's (ruler of Eregion) death and Elrond's founding of Rivendell, Eleana had gone with him, where she stayed until Sauron was forced to pull back and the state of war lessened.

The Fall of Númenor was something that would probably always pain Elrond, much as he'd known it was coming for a while. Ever since the first King began turning against the Valar and the elves... until the day when the island was returned to the sea and the survivors sailed to Aman as royals in exile to create new Kingdoms. And so Gondor and Arnor came to be.

And then came Sauron's new attack and the War of the Last Alliance. And nothing was ever the same again after that.

**xXx**

Many years passed, and many things happened, and Eleana became a welcome if infrequent visitor in Imladris. She was there to see Elrond marry Celebrían, utterly delighted at the union of two families she'd so loved and guarded; she was also there to bless Elrohir and Elladan upon their first year, same as Arwen. And Elrond would never forget that she was there for Celebrían, when no one else could be, and were it not for her Elrond would have lost his beloved wife to death rather to a ship gone west; on the latter at least he knew for sure he would see her one day again, when the elves tired of Middle-Earth and chose to leave the land for good and settle in Valinor, as it was always meant to be.

Elrond was also quite sure Eleana was the reason why Olórin, who changed his name to Gandalf the Grey, though the elves favored calling him Mithrandir, arrived over a thousand years before any of the other Ístari, and why he was so much more willing to get to know all the races of Middle-Earth and help everyone who lived in the light (unlike some of the others who either preferred nature itself or simply seemed to consider themselves above most races). There was a reason why some of them called her Cundoheri (Guardian-Lady). Then the White Council was formed by the Ístari, Eleana, Galadriel and Elrond himself, and all of them together took to watching over Arda.

The last conversation Elrond had with Eleana took place in Rivendell, shortly after dawn on the day after Midsummer's Eve, right as half the household was going crazy trying to find one halfling and thirteen dwarves that were long gone (and Elrond is quite sure Gandalf helped make sure they would be gone before anyone could stop them).

Elrond had just sent Lindir and a number of his best and fastest riders, on Saruman's insistence (much as he suspected it would be pointless), he was standing by the window of his private office when he sensed a presence join him, the same he'd felt earlier, in the gazebo where the White Council (or those who still tried) had gathered.

"Why?" She asked without preamble, even as she stepped from behind the waving curtains of the nearby balcony (through which she'd entered... probably, he never understood quite how she did a lot of the things she did).

"Why I sent Lindir and the riders after the dwarves even though I'm quite sure they'll take a road that horses could never reach?" Elrond began 'guessing' at questions she might be making. "Why I chose not to go myself on a useless quest? Why I'm even trying to stop them, going against Mithrandir's own intentions in this?"

"The first is quite obvious, you're giving Saruman what he wants, even though you know it's useless." Eleana began answering the questions herself. "You're not going yourself precisely because you know there's no point. And I don't think it's about going against Gandalf at all, you're not that petty Elrond..." She made a pause before adding. "That wasn't what I meant anyway... I have never known you to be blind, Elrond, willfully or otherwise so, do you want to tell me why you're in such denial about the Morgul-blade and Gandalf's suspicions regarding Dol Guldur and the Necromancer?"

"So he's right then?" Elrond asked, turning to face her.

"That's not what I said." She replied evenly.

Nor had she said the opposite, and Elrond had known her long enough both to realize that, and to know that she wouldn't be giving him an answer... also that she wouldn't give up until he had given her the answer she sought (and which, all things considered, she probably knew already, yet she would make him say it anyway).

"Remember the Last Alliance?" It was a rhetorical question really, and they both knew it. "The last battle against Sauron, where Elendil fell and with the broken piece of his father's blade Isildur cut off Sauron's fingers, taking the Ring, and in consequence his power, from him?"

"I remember." Eleana nodded anyway. "We were both there."

"Indeed we were." Elrond nodded. "And while you stayed to save all those who still had any hope of surviving the battle, I followed Isildur to the Orodruin, where Sauron's Ring ought to have been destroyed... and instead Isildur claimed it as the spoils of war, intending to make it an heirloom of his people..." He let out a sigh, closing his eyes at the painful memories. "I should have stopped him then, should have insisted he destroy the ring, should have..."

"You could not have forced him to do anything he did not want, Nercë (little one)..." It was odd, how Eleana would slip back into quenya and the endearments she had once called him by, and Elrond didn't really mind, though he wasn't truly little, and hadn't been for many a year.

"You know..." He hesitated for a moment before finally admitting what he knew she was waiting for him to say. "I was there... Whenever it comes up in a conversation I say I was there the day the strength of men failed... but it wasn't just the strength of men, it was also my own. For I allowed Isildur to walk out of that place with the Ring, to call it his, even when deep in my heart I knew it was not a good idea. It was created by Sauron, and he'd already destroyed so much. How could anything forged by him bring anything but darkness to anyone?"

"You knew not the power the ring truly held, none of us did." Eleana reminded him quietly. "And even if we had... the decision was not yours to make, Elrond, it never was."

"What do you know of it?" Elrond blurted out, eyes narrowing.

"Not all Marked One's have obvious Fates, and not all succeed when tests are put before them." Eleana said in a cryptic tone. "Sometimes their failure makes necessary for other Fates to be woven, sometimes from their failure can come the success of another. Even with all my gifts I will never know every single thread in Lady Vairë's great Tapestry, nor would I want to."

"You believe another will be Fated to destroy the Ring one day." Elrond guessed. "Which would mean that it exists even now and will be found one day... and if the Ring has endured, and its power, that would also mean that Sauron himself has endured... making Gandalf's theory about Dol Guldur and the Necromancer not only possible but even likely."

Eleana did not answer, she did not need to. She'd been right when she said Elrond had never been blind (though his own misplaced guilt pushed him into denial every now and then... like with his own daughter and her choice for a match...).

"Saruman will not change his mind." He pointed out next.

"He doesn't need to." Eleana answered with a minuscule shrug. "Fate has already been set into motion. What shall be will be, nothing can stop it anymore..."

...Nothing could have ever stopped it.

"Do you ever wonder about could-have-beens?" Elrond asked in a quite unexpected non-sequitur.

"What could have been?" Eleana repeated, completely blindsided (probably for the first time ever) by Elrond's words.

"If you had accepted when Elros asked for your hand in marriage?" Elrond finishes.

Had Eleana been any other woman she would have coughed, spluttered and probably blushed red to the roots of her fair hair... as it was, she only closed her eyes briefly and let out a heavy sigh.

"You know such a thing was never possible, Elrond..." Eleana said in what her once-charge would almost call a pained-tone.

"That's one thing I never understood, and you never wanted to talk to me about." The Lord of Imladris commented softly. "I know it wasn't lack of love, for you certainly loved him. Even if I never heard you say it, I was there the day you placed that garland on his grave..."

The moonlight-haired she-elf let out a sigh before gracefully allowing herself to fall into a chair; keeping her silence until Elrond was sitting beside her.

"I will never understand how Elros ever came to love me, and as much as his own pain at my denial hurt me as well, it was never meant to be." She said softly. "I have a destiny Elrond, a duty to Arda and to my lords and ladies in Valinor... and as much as I might have cared for Elros, as a part of me might still care... we were never meant to be. I would never forsake my destiny for love, even the love of one such as Elros, and he knew that as well as I. He also knew I was never meant to be his match."

"He named his daughter Tindomiel..." He reminder her.

"I know..." It was all she said.

She'd known, of course. Even though she'd stayed away from Númenor after the coronation of Elros as Tar-Minyatur, when he first married a kind lady of a good family, and the birth of his son, his heir... but when his second child was born a daughter, and letters were sent to almost every corner of Arda, looking for her, asking for her blessing for the little princess, Eleana just couldn't say no. And then to learn that the newborn princess had been name Tindomiel by her father, 'daughter of the dawn'... just like Eleana herself had once been Minuialwen (the Dawn). It was the last time she set foot in the island until the funeral of Elros.

"Was it worth it?" Elrond asked her. "Giving up love for your destiny?"

"That question doesn't actually work, not with me." Eleana pointed out. "I'm not like you, mellon nîn (friend mine). I was not born, like the rest of Eru's children, both mortal and immortal. I am more like the Maiar in the same that I was embodied and even then, I wasn't always a true living being, I was a star. I have no match, no love... for all we know I would have never been able to give Elros the heirs he needed for his throne."

"We would have still chosen you. And how can you say you have no love for him? I know for a fact that you did love him."

"Of course I loved him! Like I love you, Nercë, like I loved your mother Elwing, and Lúthien, and Alatariel... and everyone else I've had the chance to know and care for in my long life..."

Elrond did not agree, he was convinced, and had been for many years, that Eleana had loved his brother in a different way than anyone else, she probably still did; it made him wonder what her destiny might be to make her pass on something like that, for he knew Elros would have loved her completely and irrevocably.

"The world has changed..." Eleana said in elvish without preamble. "And will change much more still. Much that once was, has been gone for so long, with none to remember, none to be able to know the truths from the lies, the history from myths and legends... but that will soon change too. The time will come when darkness will rise again, and with it a light to fight it."

"There are not enough elves left on this side of the sea to wage another war against Sauron and Mordor." Elrond told her. "Too many have left in the years since the last one, and even more will leave in the years to come."

"While I dearly hope the elves will lend their aid in both battle, and healing as well as their own knowledge in the time to come. I know that the next Age will not belong to the firstborn, but to the races of the secondborn, the mortals. Their time will come, and they will prove themselves worthy heirs of Arda."

"They will need a King, Isildur's line has long since been lost."

"It hasn't, and you know that as well as I Elrond..."

"Gilraen's and Arathorn's child... Estel..."

"Quite the appropriate name, for hope is indeed what he shall bring to his people, and to all Men when his time comes."

"He's young and impetuous still."

"Indeed, but he shall not be like that forever. You must teach him, mellon nîn, guide him. One day Estel shall be Aragorn, as he's always been meant to, and he will be the stone upon which a new lineage of men, a new dawn of their race, will be built." She made a pause before adding. "I believe he will be a worthy holder of the blood of Elros and his lineage..."

And for that, if for nothing else, Elrond would make sure to help him.

The old friends talked long into the morning, through lunch and even after the sun had set; of any and every topic that came to mind. It occurred to Elrond at one point that Eleana had never been so candid or so honest with him; and yet it did not occur to him to wonder the reason for any of it. Not until late at night, with the stars shining high in the sky, when the two found nothing else to speak of and then Eleana approached her dear friend and once ward, whispered a prayer in a language so old (older than Quenya even) that Elrond does not know it, though he can sense the blessings every word carries, and then he feels the kiss on his brow. Elrond gets a heady feeling at it all, but cannot explain it.

"Namarië, child of my heart." She whispered, shifting to Quenya. "May the stars forever shine in your eyes, the sun warm your skin and the moon light your path..."

It's until after Eleana has left (not just the veranda where they talked, but Imladris as a whole) that Elrond realizes what the odd feeling was... she was saying goodbye...

One morning at the start of winter, just after Samhain, Elrond could feel it, the moment when one life was lost and, that same night, a new star lit up in the sky.

**xXx**

Many years passed. Elrond focused on his duty as Lord of Imladris, aid of the Dúnedain, and all those who might look for protection in his lands. He also did his best to fulfill the silent promise he'd made upon Eleana's passing, to be a worthy Guardian, watch over the elves and Middle-Earth in general until Sauron was vanquished for good (and he knew the day would come).

He'd also done his best to guide Estel, help him become the man Eleana had envisioned him as, and made Elrond envision in turn. A worthy heir of Elros's, his dear brother's, lineage. Beyond the strength of will of Elendil and the weakness of Isildur, beyond the darkness of the Kings who fell to the Rings of Powers and the kings-in-exile who'd wandered the north for so many years. He knew not everyone saw it like that; his daughter in particular believed him to be too harsh, that it was his way of showing his disapproval for her choice, giving seemingly impossible tasks to Aragorn, keeping him away from her. Yet it wasn't so, Elrond wouldn't deny it saddened him to know that his daughter would one day be lost to him, to the end of time; but she was an adult, one who knew her own mind and heart, and he accepted that. It was why, regardless of how much it pained him, when the time came and Aragorn had taken his rightful place, Elrond would place Arwen's hand in his and give them his blessing.

As it turned out, that day wasn't as far away as Elrond might have thought at some point, as he grudgingly acknowledged in the aftermath of a Council in the fall of 3018 while in conversation with Gandalf.

"Eleana knew it would be him to earn back the throne of Gondor." He told the wizard. "Even if she never said the exact words, the implications were clear the moment she compared Estel with Elros... never before had she compared any from his line with my brother, not even Elendil and she held the old King in high esteem all his life."

The Grey Wizard nodded in complete agreement.

"She imparted much wisdom in the final conversations she held with each of us, I think." The Ístari commented. "Even if we are less used to understanding her cryptic ways than others."

Than Galadriel, he meant, of course. Then again, no one on their side of the Belegaer had known Eleana Cundoheri for as long as Galadriel (before called Alatariel) had; so it probably wasn't that surprising that the Lady of Lothlórien would understand the Gift of the Stars, better than any other ever had. Still, they would all do their best.

"Of all the talks I had with her in the many years I had the honor of calling her my friend, only once she said more than a handful of cleverly twisted words regarding her destiny in this world." Gandalf declared quietly. "It was during the war against Sauron, a few years before he lost the Ring. It was then that she told me she truly was Cundoheri, and as such guardian of all living beings in Arda, but especially the Marked Ones; a duty given to her by Lady Varda and Lady Vairë themselves. It was there that she also warned me of the End, though I did not know enough to see the warning for what it was at the time. Eleana told me that one day she would have to choose, she would tear down the Tapestry of one of the Marked Ones; she would choose one among them all in hopes that he or she would tip the balance for good, allow the light to triumph over the darkness for good... You know what I thought?" He let out a sigh, turning eyes to the sky even as he answered his own question. "I thought it was ludicrous. How could Eleana, wise as she always was, ever hope that someone, anyone, after being freed from their Valar-given-Fate, rather than running away, would choose to stay, of their own free will; stay and fight to possibly save the world? Who, either mortal or immortal could ever be hoped to be willing to endure trials and grief and pain when they didn't have to? I've known a great many people in my life, long as it's been, many remarkable individuals even; yet I'd never known any brave and selfless enough... or perhaps I ought to have seen them as foolish, to ever do something like that..."

"And have you changed your mind since?" Elrond asked the wizard, interested.

"How could I not?" Mithrandir asked in an almost helpless tone. "You saw the same thing I did today..." He shook his head. "I thought that what I'd seen sixty-one years ago, when Bilbo so selflessly chose to go to Ravenhill, to warn the dwarves, to try and save their lives, I saw that as an act of extraordinary valor... and then when both he and Thorin were willing to sacrifice a part of themselves and the love they'd just found, to separate so soon after their match for Bilbo to be where he would be needed. Where Fate had decreed he needed to be, even after it had released him. Bilbo and Thorin made their choice... and it allowed for Frodo to be who he is today. And not just him, Gimli and Legolas as well, and the other hobbits, and even Aragorn, and the things they may yet teach Boromir..."

Elrond knew he was right. None of the members of the Fellowship were who they would have been if Bilbo Baggins and Thorin Oakenshield had chosen differently in the aftermath of the Quest for Erebor and the Battle of Five Armies... or if Eleana Cundoheri had done anything different either. Maybe, just maybe, his old friend's (and once caretaker) hope would be realized; maybe darkness would finally be vanquished and Arda would exist in true light.

**xXx**

Elrond was no fool, he'd known all along that his daughter had in her possession a scroll with the Vows, the ancient spell that would bind two souls in such a way not even death could pry them apart. And while he knew that some saw his insistence on Arwen getting on a ship to Aman as either rejection of Aragorn or denial over his daughter's choice, the truth was much different. It wasn't that he did not approve... how could he not? He'd known Aragorn for almost all of his life and knew exactly the kind of man he was, and that few men could hope to be worthier of a princess of Arwen's lineage than he was (then again, he was a father, and no father ever thought any suitor good enough for their daughter). And it was not denial, as much as it hurt him to know he would be losing his daughter to a fate the Eldar like him would never know; it was her choice, and he respected that. The true reason why he was so insistent was that he wanted her to be sure. For while there was life in Arwen's future (a son, and daughters, at least three daughters, all as beautiful as their mother); there would also be death, and grief, and Elrond wanted Arwen to be ready for the bad as much as she would be for the good. Because he would not be there for his daughter when she had to go through it all, he had to prepare her beforehand.

It was also why, when the time came, when he saw the three armies of Rhovanion marching by his lands, he was ready. He knew where they were going, and the kind of battle they would be involved in. And while Elrond would never allow his daughter to be in such danger, he knew that where there was war there were injured, Arwen was his best apprentice when it came to healing, she would do well helping the injured men in Gondor. It also helped that he knew another healer was traveling with the group already: Lady Sigrid II, daughter of Ori and Tilda, from Dale.

Of course Arwen was all but ready the moment Elrond told her the plan; as ready as the tins were to do battle themselves, and the Dúnedain they and Halbarad (who'd been Lord of Dale before leaving Esgaroth to join the Rangers) had managed to call to arms.

They made good time to Gondor, arriving right as plans were being made for a stand at the Black Gates. And while Elrond would never admit it out-loud, he was honestly amazed at how far the young hobbit had gotten (it seemed the Perian -halflings- would never stop surprising him). The moment the planning was finished and preparations began, Arwen and Sigrid took their leave and went directly to the Houses of Healing to begin working, and the Lord of Imladris decided to go with them and do what he could before leaving fo Mordor the ext morning.

By the time the three arrived people were already whispering about 'the hands of the king are hands that heal'... apparently Aragorn had been doing some healing of his own, and the people were growing to love him for it already... just like Aragorn knew they'd come to love their future Queen as well.

The march to the Black Gates of Mordor was long, and at the same time not at all. It also served to remind Elrond of another march that had taken place many years before, an Age even... the march of the Last Alliance, also against Sauron and Mordor. He'd always found it interesting, how quick to forget most races were. Everyone called that the Last Alliance of Elves and Men... and yet those weren't the only races to fight, no, many other creatures had been there: Ents, Eagles... and dwarrows, lead by one of the incarnations of Durin the Deathless. And there they were again; men and elves and dwarves (and two shirelings and a wizard) marching together to war; even before considering that the armies of men and elves were comprised by warriors of completely different kingdoms, from distant corners of Middle Earth, it was an astounding allegiance... and all for one single individual: Frodo Baggins.

"Did you know this, Minuialwen?" The elven lord asked to the night-sky, one of nights during their trip. "When you chose to tear Thorin Oakenshield's Tapestry, after his ow destiny had been fulfilled, and in doing so changed Bilbo Baggin's irremediably as well... did you know what they would do? All the changes it would bring? What it would mean for all of Arda?"

And while Elrond knew that Eleana had been very gifted, so much that she could know a great many things of one person simply by looking at them; he didn't think she'd known how exactly things would go. She'd hoped, and that hope had been rewarded, by both Bilbo and Thorin, many times over. And there they where, about to face Sauron, hopefully for the last time.

The battle was long and exhausting. After the first few minutes Elrond stopped focusing too much on each movement of his own body and let his instincts take over, like he had many times before. A part of his awareness was still focused on his sons (all three of them), but he didn't allow any of them to distract him, trusting that they were all powerful warriors and perfectly capable of looking after themselves. Of course he was right.

And then it came, the shout from the hobbit:

"The Eagles! The Eagles are coming!"

It was the beginning of the end of the battle, and of the war. With the Eagles of Manwë there, the flying Názgul stood no chance, and without their fear-inducing screeches, the armies of the Free Peoples of Arda fought all the harder. And then... a second of silence, absolute, heart-stopping silence, not even the wind blew for an everlasting moment and then, a huge explosion shook the earth. Barad-dur crumbled into dust, as did the Black Gates, and the very earth the dark armies walked upon gave beneath them, swallowing them whole. Elrond could almost believe that the Ainur themselves had a hand in that. Yet there was no time to focus on that, because then the Eagles were back, with Gandalf as well as two heavily injured and terribly malnourished hobbits, who returned victorious from their quest.

It took a while for the Ring-bearer (or Ring-bearers, since Sam too had bore the ring for a time, however short, while in Mordor) to recover, and they all knew that neither of them, but especially not Frodo, would ever recover fully. Yet the happiness was also there, the Ring had been destroyed, Sauron was vanquished, Middle-Earth was saved!

Upon their return to Gondor, talks began, about the things that had happened, those who'd died, and those who'd survived. One story in particular that circulated was about Aragorn's cousin and herald, who'd come to close to being slayed by a particularly nasty uruk-hai who approached him from his blind-spot, only to manage to move in the last moment, after being warned by a bird.

"It was not any bird, it was a thrush." Gimli explained simply.

The men just looked at the dwarf, realizing that probably sounded logical to him, but not to them, not at all. What would make any one bird more special than others? It still did not explain how one had warned the Ranger, or when a bunch of them began attacking several Harad (pretty much gouging their eyes out whenever possible).

"Thrushes have been allied with the Line of Girion for many a year." Halbarad finally explained. "Those of our bloodline can understand them. In this case it means Sigrid, her older sister, younger brother, my cousin Crown Prince Brand, his son Bard II, Uncle King Báin, and myself." He made a pause and then added. "The ravens also have a pact with Durin's line, the royal family of Erebor, and sometimes it may extend to others who hail from the Lonely Mountain."

Éomer just shook his head; he'd seen so much since first laying eyes on Aragorn and his two companions (whom he'd aptly named the Three Hunters): halflings, talking and walking trees, the heir to a bloodline believed lost, armies of elves and dwarves, the descendants of Númenor, a dwarven king married to a she-elf, he was sure nothing would surprise him anymore, and had said so, more than once.

News began coming then, about the other battles that had taken place. Elrond knew even before the raven arrived, that the news coming from Erebor would not be all good. While the battles near the borders of Lothlórien and Rivendell (he'd left Glorfindel and Erestor in charge) had been won relatively easy, the Battle of Dale had been another thing entirely.

"Kili?" Several voices began calling when they saw the dwarven king's hands slacken on the parchment delivered.

Kili did not answer, instead he just remained standing there, until his wife took the message from his hands and read it herself.

"Oh..." She gasped when realizing what had affected her husband so; then, in her most formal tone she announced. "Dwarrows of Erebor, People of Dale, I regret to be the bearer of bad news. As we all knew, an army of Easterlings was approaching Esgaroth at the time of our departure. A battle took place, and the victory was for the alliance... however, it was a costly victory. Many lives were lost, the complete list of names was not given. What I am to inform you now is the loss of Crown Prince Brand of Dale and Lord Dáin Ironfoot of the Iron Hills."

Loud calls from both the men of Dale and the dwarves of Erebor followed that announcement. Before some of them began praying for the loss of not only two of their royals, but anyone else who might have perished in the fight.

They were hard days, Elrond knew that, just like he knew they had the strength to get through it all and move on. After all, they had before. Regardless of any negative things he might think or say, men had always been extraordinarily enduring individuals... and so were hobbits, as they'd all seen firsthand. Watching Frodo walk and even smile again, after all the hardship and the pain (and even if he'd one finger less).

It took weeks, but eventually enough of Gondor and its citizens had been restored sufficiently to be ready to receive the King. He'd been walking among them for a while, yet it was until the White City was mostly recovered from the battle at Pelennor Fields, that Aragorn allowed the coronation to take place. Gandalf was chosen to place the crown on his head (in ancient times it would have been his predecessor, usually his father, but as the line of the Kings had been in exile for so long, Arathorn had passed away when Aragorn was but two, and Denethor was dead; other arrangements needed to be made), while Frodo was asked to be the one to carry it to the Ístari for the coronation itself.

"Now come the days of the King." Gandalf called formally as he placed the heavy, intricate crown on Aragorn's head. "May they be blessed."

"Hail Elessar Telcontar!" Frodo called the name Aragorn had chosen to be his royal one.

"Hail!" The people throughout the plaza called cheerfully.

"This day does not belong to one man but to all." The new King declared strongly. "Let us together rebuild this world, that we may share in the days of peace." His voice turned softer as he began singing in Quenya: "Et Eärello Endorenna utúlien. Sinome maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn' Ambar-metta. (Out of the Great Sea to Middle-Earth I am come. In this place will I abide, and my heirs, unto the ending of the world.)"

And so it happened, like Eleana predicted (and like many others things he'd seen long before they came to pass), that Aragorn became Elessar, the elf-stone upon which the new royal bloodline of Gondor rose. Many would follow him, Elrond knew that well, he'd seen the boy, just like his daughter had, they were to be the start of a line of Kings that would see a new age on the world, the time of the elves was coming to an end, Arda would forever more be of the Secondborn. The time had come for the elves to sail to their Final Home...

But that day was not to be one of sadness, not at all. With the basic protocols seen to, the King Elessar began walking through the groups that had gathered to watch him be crowned. Conveying his gratitude for their presence, and for everything each of the had done to help in the War of the Ring (as the bards were beginning to call it). There were greetings to Éomer (fully acknowledged King of Rohan), his sister Princess Éowyn Názgul-Slayer, a legend in her own right and who'd recently become engaged to Lord Faramir (whom Elessar would later on be naming Steward as well as Prince of Ithilien); then came Lord Halbarad and his cousin Lady Sigrid of Dale, King Kili and Queen Tauriel of Erebor; Gimli, while also being of Erebor, stood close with his dear friend Legolas, who stood by his own people, the elves of Mirkwood; just like the twins, Elladan and Elrohir had chosen to stand with the Rangers.

Elrond himself stood almost at the end of the various groups of royals and Fellowship members. And once Elessar had reached him and given the customary nod of the head (a bow was not proper, as the man was King), the Lord of Imladris took the banner from his daughter's hands, allowing her form to be revealed for the second time. Unlike before in that moment she was dressed completely in white, the finest silks on her, and a mithril circlet that had once belonged to her mother placed on her head. She was the most perfect image of a bride on her wedding day... and that was exactly what she was, and what that day would be. He knew that very well as he placed his daughter's hand on Aragorn's; he'd known it would happen, ever since first laying eyes on those two together he'd seen it, that very moment...

All kingly-composure the newly named Elessar may have managed to hold onto tightly since the moment the crown was placed on his head was broken in an instant, as his mind processed the significance of his once foster-father placing Arwen's hand on his. He could only gather the beautiful she-elf in his arms and kiss her for all he was worth.

All was at it should be, as it was always meant to be.

**Author's Note:**

> This piece gave me a hard time, I kept changing my mind on who should be the focus of it. In the end Elrond was convenient, to give another view of Aragorn's and Arwen's relationship, and bring up the comparisons of this new Alliance with the old one. Still, I will be the first to say that the whole Elros/Eleana thing caught even me by surprise. It was so not in the plans until it was written. I like it, I think it gives new depth to her character, even if some might not consider it too important on the grand scheme of things. 
> 
> Also, after writing the other scene of the White Council meeting in the Hobbit it just didn't feel right to call Elrond blind... so I turned it around here. And I got the chance to introduce another concept: the possibility of Marked Ones failing at their tests, their Fate... them being Fated for something doesn't mean they will do it right. I thought that was important to point out. 
> 
> Finally, next week we'll give a basic closing to the story. Because all good things must come to an end (and I hope this has been good). A lot of change has been brought by Eleana's choice in Ravenhill; but there was maybe one thing that was never planned for. The hybrids, the children of mixed-races... especially those who might feel like they don't really belong in any race. As is the case of Stiarna Stareyes, the Archer, the Wanderer... 
> 
> In any case, while that will mostly close the cycle, after that we will have one additional piece. The epilogue (wrap), so-to-speak. Because through it all I cannot believe I forgot one very important thing! (And if you can guess the focus of that piece I... well, I don't know what I'll give you, but I promise to think of something, so guess away please!) 
> 
> P.S. There will be no AU anymore, I couldn't think of enough to make different so it's not worth it. I think.


End file.
